In just three years, more than 18,700 dogs and cats have been sterilized at a little building in Ridgeland.They've come from nearby homes and far away, from caring families and from shelters where they hope to be adopted before their number is up.

Each one only spends only a single day at the Spay/Neuter Alliance and Clinic but those hours often change their lives forever - and hopefully someday the future of shelters that have more animals than they possibly find homes for.

SNAC's mission is simple - to spay and neuter as many animals as possible so that someday shelters in 10 counties won't be flooded with unwanted pets.

For the 6,000 or so animals sterilized there each year, thousands more won't be born, won't starve on the side of some road or be put to sleep.

It's a daunting task with so many cats and dogs giving birth to litter after litter and one that could take years before statistics prove the work done there is paying off.

If the hefty, female hound spayed there last week could talk, perhaps her story would convince more families to use the clinic.But her body tells the story for her.

Her enormous teats nearly touched the ground as she was led to the prepping area. It was obvious she'd given birth to many litters before and when a veterinarian gently cut open her belly, there was undeniable proof that she was heavily pregnant again.

"She would have probably had puppies in another 15 days," said veterinarian Matthew Dixon.

This isn't the kind of surgery he likes to perform. Ideally a dog or cat would be spayed before they ever had their first heat or reproduced. This procedure took longer than most, but in the end, it too means fewer puppies and a better life for the mother who had clearly been through enough already.

SNAC is the only high-volume, low-cost spay facility in the region. The price to have a pet "fixed" ranges from $50 for a male cat to $75 for a female dog.

Staff and even a few volunteers drive to several pickup locations in South Carolina and Georgia.

But even performing 28 to 32 surgeries a day, four days a week - the number one full-time veterinarian can handle - isn't making the dent in overpopulation that the staff and board would like.

"We have not seen a great reduction in shelter intakes in the (10) counties we serve," said Executive Director Shawn Albertson. "That is our goal."

He is hoping to increase the number of surgeries scheduled at the facility so SNAC could afford to hire another full-time vet and perform twice as many spays and neuters.

The problem, he says, is too few people know about the facility and use it.

"People don't know about SNAC nearly enough," he said. "We have very limited advertising. Being a non-profit, there's not a lot of money for it. But we will have to start to bring clients in."

SNAC's short term goal is to have two full-time doctors performing 12,000 surgeries a year. Long term, he would like to expand services to weekends when more people could get to the clinic. Right now, surgeries are performed Monday through Thursday.

"We've got the equipment and the building and it just sits here three days out of the week," he said. "I'd love to see us put it to good use."While the non-profit generally operates on fees and grant money, donations are accepted. But to really help, people should have their unsterilized animals scheduled for an appointment, he said.

While SNAC has bigger goals, its numbers are still impressive.

So far this year, it has sterilized 590 animals in Jasper County and 339 from Beaufort County.

Chatham County, Ga., has the highest rate, with 1,250 animals spayed or neutered at the Ridgeland clinic since January. Hampton County has had only 29. Colleton County has 187.

The other counties serviced by SNAC in Georgia include Bryan with 345, Bulloch with 239, Effingham with 361, Evans with 3 and Liberty with 267.Since January, the clinic has performed more than 3,756 surgeries in all.

"That's a lot of animals," Albertson said. "We haven't seen the impact we want yet, but we know it's possible."

Although those are SNAC's 10 targeted counties, the clinic will perform surgery on pets from anywhere.

To find out more about getting a pet spayed or neutered or to find drop off areas, call SNAC at 645-2500.

Volunteers are also welcome along with donated supplies like Clorox bleach - yes, it must be Clorox - and distilled water.For more information and SNAC's wish list, visit www.snac1.com

Requirements for surgery

SNAC does not accept animals under two pounds in weight or younger than two months of age.

A pet 2 to 4 months old can receive food and water all night but none the morning of surgery. Pets older than 4 months must receive no food after 9 p.m. and no water after midnight.

• Cats dropped off directly at SNAC must be in carriers (one cat per carrier) and all dogs must be leashed. Animals dropped off at a local transport location must be in individual crates or carriers.

What to expect

The recovery period is seven to 10 days. You need to restrict your pet's activity and keep them indoors. You also need to watch their incision closely. If your dog or cat is licking an incision, you can purchase Bitter Apple or Bitter Orange (from Walmart, PetCo or PetSmart) - and rub the ointment around the incision, not directly on it (because the ointment stings). If that doesn't work, you can purchase an E-collar. SNAC charges $10 for each of the above. Owners will get a complete list of post-op instructions when pets are picked up.Why spay or neuter?

In addition to helping reduce the pet overpopulation, research has shown that spayed and neutered animals show markedly less aggression, are known to acquire fewer reproductive diseases and are said to live longer and be generally healthier than those that are not. Sterilized pets are often easier to train and have a decreased tendency to roam or run away.

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